Vehicle-spring.



M. M. MCINTYRB. VEHICLE SPRING. APPLICATION FILED AUG. ze, 1909.'

1,018,250. Patented 11915.20, 1912.

2 SHEETB-SHEBT 1.

Inv Ent n1- v Atty 5- M. M. MUINTYRB.

VEHICLE` SPRING. Arrm'oulox rILnDiAqmna, 190s.

UNITEI) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL M. MOINTYRE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE PERFECTION SPRING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application tiled August 28, 1909.

To-all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL M. MGIN- Tran, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State lof Ohio, have invented a certalnv new and useful Improvement .in Vehicle Springs, of vwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to vehicle springs and .to a construction,l including a special form of spring seat, whereby the leaves of a multipledeaf spring niay be secured together in such'ijrianner' as to relieve the center .bolt

of sliearii'ig' stra'ins'dueto. any movement of the spring leaves, and even enable'the center bolt to be dispensed with except as a tem,- porary connector for the leaves.

A-further object of the invention is to provide a special -construction y of spring, seat and bolt which, while securing theabove result, will strenvthen the seat at what is ordi- .narily the weaiest point.

. Generally speaking,'the invention may be defined as consisting of the combinations of elements embodied 1n the claims hereto annexed and illustrated, in tive exemplications, in the drawing forming part hereof, wherein- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a spring constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of one of the leaves of such spring; Fig. 3 is a sectional detail taken through the central portion of the spring and the spring seat;-Figs. 4 and 5 are views, similar to Figs. 2 and 3 respectively, of a modified form ofthe inventlon shown in the former fi rs; Fig. 6 is a'view, similar to F ig. 3, o another modification of the invention; Fi s. 7 and 8 are views, similar to Fi .,2

an 3, respectively, of .a further modified form of m invention; Fi 9 and 10, are views,- simi arto Figs. 2 an 3, of a still further modified form of my invention, and Fig. 11 is a perspective detail of the bolt Describing the parts by reference charv actors, 'I represents a spring, which is shown as a plain semi-elliptic spring comprisin a a ity of leaves, the main leaf or platei; lng shown .at 2 and the other leaves being shown at- 3, 4, 5, and 6. As a means for centering the sprin leaves for assembling, 1

.provide each lea with a cent1-a1* projection,

as shown at 2, 3, 4, 5 and (5", This pro-- jection. is formed by punchingr the central portion of each leaf away from the seat which the spring is to occupy. By this inann'er of forming the projections, it follows that concavities or recesses v2", 3", 4", ctc., are

provided, corresponding and complementary to the projections or convexities. The spring plates are punched in such manner as not to ertures of suiiicient diameter to receive the bolt. These apertures may bc formed when the projections are struck from the leaves and preferablyby the saine operation. I prefer to perforate onlythe leaves which will be nearest the spr-ingscat, three such leaves being shown as perforated, viz: leaves 4, 5 and 6.

9 denotes the spring scat. This seat is of standard construction except that thel upper surface is provided with a projection 10, having a short integral bolt 11. The projection l0 conforms in contourA to the recess in leaf (3 and the holt 11 is of such length as to extend through the perforatio'ns in the leaves 4, 5 and (i. Clips l2 are. provided for the purpose of securing the spring as a whole to the spring seat.

By-the construction described and illustrated, it will be seen that each shorter leaf is provided with a projecting seat for the next longer leaf and that the spring seat is provided with a projecting tapered seat for. the recess in the shortest4 leaf or short plate. By this construction, the bolt 11 is relieved of all shear of the spring plates, the bolt serving merely to facilitate centering the plates. All shear of the uppermost plate 2 is taken by the next plate 3. All shearof theplate 3 is taken by the plate 4, and so on, the shear of the lowermost o1' shortest plate being taken by the spring seat. It follows that no shearing strain whatever is exerted upon the shank 'of the bolt, such strain being transmitted-'to the inclined sea-ting projection of the Springseil-t.

sprin In Figs. 4 and 5, there is shown a modification of my invention which resembles the embodiment shown in Figs. 2 and 3, but udiffers therefrom mainljy in having a bolt separate from the spi-ing seat and of a length to extend thr ugh all -of the spring leaves, with a special form of recess in the spring seat to accommodate the bolt head.

In thisembodiment, 22 denotes the main plate or leaf. This leaf is provided with a projection 22 similar to the projection 2* and provided with a complementary 'recess 22b and a central aperture 22. The recess 22" receives the projection 23* of the next subjacent plate or leaf, and so on for the series of leaves 23, 24, 25, and 2G'. The spring seat 27 is provided with a recess 28, which is concave to receive the corresponding convex headl 29"of a bolt, thc shank 30 of which extends through the alined apertures in the projections 22-26. The end of the bolt is provided with a nut 31. The construct-ion above described provides a convenient manner of assembling the spring for ship'ment and, in this embodiment, when the spring is applied to its seat by means of the clips 32, the shank of the bolt is rclievcd of all shearing strain, such strain being transmitted downwardly through thenesting projections 22-26 to the head of the bolt 29 and through said head Ato the spring'seat. j l

In Fig. 6', there is shown a modification of ythe invention which combines the features of construction shown in the two'preceding embodiments of my invention. In this view, the spring leaves 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36are eacn provided with a central projection 32-36 adapted.to nest one withln the other, the projections extending away from the spring seat 37.. These projections are provided with alined apertures for the reception of the bolt, the head of which is riesig-- nated b v'38. This bolt head is provided with a 'recess on the endwhich is presented toward the spring seat, said recesses being.

adapted to receive the projection 39 on the seat, The opposite face of the bolt head 1s inclined, as shown at 4,0, to correspond to and fit within the recess 36" which is complementary, to the projection 3G* 'on'.

the shortest leaf of the spring. The shank 41 of the bolt extends through the alined apertures in the projections 32K-36 and is provided with a nut 41'. Suitable` clips 37 are provider] for securing the spring to the seat. The bolt in this embodiment of my invention serves the same function asthc bolt shown in Figs. 4'and 5, namely; to assemble the sp1-ing for shipment and to assistin transmitting the shear of thespring.

that the projections on the spring leaves are directed toward the spring seat' instead of away from it and the spring seat is provided with a recess adapted to receive the projection. on the short leaf or plate. In this modification,` 42 denotes the main late, said plate being provided with a centra pro# jcction 42 with a complementary recess 42h and a central aperture 42. Each o'f the other leaves 43, 44, 45 and 46 is provided with a similar projection and recess, whereby the projection on each longer leaf may rest 'within the`recess of the -ncxt shorter .lea 47 denotes the spring seat, which is similar to thel seat shown in the preceding 'end it is provided with .a nut 50, which is shown within the recess 47". Clips 51 are provided 'for securing the s ring to the spring seat;47. The-construction described relieves the shank 49 of the bolt of all shear and, in fact, said bolt may be dis ensed with entirely and the clips 51 will su ce to secure the spring leaves to ether and -to the seat.

In Figs. 9, 10 an 11, there is illustrated a modification of my invention which differs from that shown in- Figs. 7 and 8 chiefly in the employment of a modified form of bolt.

The bolt in this instance is of the. fiat type, having an elongated T head and a fiat shank. The main leaf 52 is rovided with a central projection 52 whic is elon ated and is shaped to conform to the hea of the bolt. 52 denotes the recess 'which is complementary to the projection 52, and 52 the cen tral aperture through said projection. The other plates are shown at 53, 54, 55 and 56, and each is provided with a central projection 53-56, each projection having a cen tral'aperture therethrough and the apertures being alned to receivethe shank 'of the bolt. 57 denotes the spring seat, and this seat is provided with a central recess having an inclined 'surface '57' complementary to the corresponding inclined surface on theprojection 56 of the short leaf or .plate next adjacent thereto. The.spring scat is also provided with a small recess 57 for the reception of the end ofthe bolt. The holt referred to is-provided with a head 58, which is elongated and is provided with in` clined surfaces 59 on theundersidc thereof adapted to engage the inclined surfaces of the recess 52. The shank 60 of the bolt projects through the alined apertures in the projections 52-56. Clips 61 serve to connect the spring to the seat and, as is the case With the spring shown in Figs. T and 8, the bolt is employed mainly for the purpose of assembling the spring for shipment. Should the bolt be left in place when the spring is clipped to the seat, all shearing strain will be taken off the shank of the bolt by means of the nesting projections Situ-56a andthe inclined seat 57Il which is providedon the spring seat.

A great advantage of the construction shown herein is that they all reduce the tendency of the spring leaves to break at the center, which tendency exists to a marked degree when the clips become Worn or get loose. The projections at the center of the leaves prevent breaking at this point, notwithstanding the fact that the leaves are there perforated. The form shown in Figs.- 9 ald 10 is particularly efficient in this rear g Having thus'described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination, with a multiple leaf spring having leaves provided each with a central projection Within the lateral edges thereof .and a complementary recess, Whereby said leaves may be centered with the pro- Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cent;

jeetion of one leaf nesting Within the recess oi an adjacent leaf, o f a spring seat having a surfice conforming to the deflected portion of the adjacent spring leaf, and clips securing said spring to the seat.

. :2. A multiple leaf spring having a plurality of leaves 'each of which has at its central portion and within the'confnes of the lateral edges thereof a projection with a complementary recess and. a central aperture,j and a bolt extending through said apertures and having a head conforming in shape to a recess in the outer leaf of the spring.

A multiple leaf spring having a plu-4 rality of leaves each of which has at its cen. tral portion and within the confines of the lateral edges thereof a projection with a complementary recess and a central aperture, and 'a bolt extending through said apertures.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.'

MICHAEL M. MCINTYRE.

lfVitnesses:

J. B.'HULL, vBRENNAN WEST.

each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

